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How to Audition for Theatre?

What you really mean is; how do I do a great audition? An audition that will guarantee that I get the part. That's the big question, isn't it? That's what you're really looking for; that's why you found your way here.

Ask any ten acting teachers and directors and without question, each one will offer you a completely different prescription for audition success. And yet, without question, all ten will be correct.

No single clear audition preparation method exists that can anticipate the multitude of uncontrollable variables that plague the audition experience.

But let’s look before we leap into this monologue preparation process. If we first examine the audition situation, the goal of the audition, and what inner resources we can bring to the audition process, we will be much more effectively equipped to plan and rehearse our audition.

Theatre Audition Questions

Consider just a few of the confusing questions that you face when beginning the monologue rehearsal process.

“Should I use lots of movement?” Well… that depends on the size of the room.

“How loud should be I be?” Well… that depends on the size of the room and how many people are in it.

“Comedy or tragedy… contemporary or classic?” Depends on the specific theatre company and their specific season.

“Red dress or yellow dress?” Depends on which color the director’s ex-wife most frequently wore.

The audition situations seem so varied and vague; yet you must make concrete decisions about your monologue presentations to create and present a successful monologue.

So what should you do in the audition?

Should you simply memorize one minute of interesting words, walk into the room with freshly bleached teeth, project to the back of the room, and leave your fate in the hands of our patron pagan, Dionysus?

Actually that may work. It would certainly be more effective than the majority of amateur auditions performed at high schools, colleges, universities, and scholarship conferences each year.

A better choice, however, is for us to assign some order to this audition ambiguity.